Stole One!

The forecast was for several days of rain including the weekend. I missed out on a window of opportunity Friday while I worked just to have it start to rain as I was loading up my bike for a ride.

Gorgeous trails in the forest...

So when I woke up Saturday to dry skies I decided I better get outside and steal a ride on what was supposed to be a rain day.

Taking the wide road...

Not sure why, but getting a ride in on a day that you assumed would be a write off is so amazingly sweet…=-)

A quick rinse in the creek...

Interestingly lines I couldn’t clean with my Nomad’s 6″+ of FS I could handle on the 29er, but at the same time other sections that the Nomad gobbled up without pause challenged me with so much less squish. That’s why you have XC bikes and All Mountain bikes!

Rolling the big 29er hoops...

Riding different bikes back to back on the same trails is so much fun and makes you appreciate the finer points of each design.

Things were a tad juicy...

One place the IGH 29er hardtail definitely will win out is when things are wet and muddy the clean up and maintenance is soooooo much simpler.

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9 responses

How are you liking the 11 speed? As a fan of the alfine on a mtb, I’m curious to the performance you notice from the 11. Do you feel it more useful than the 8. I know you get more top end out of it. 32t up front?

@Wil – My other MTB is running a 2 x 9. Low gear is comparable. I don’t use the top end of either bike as our trails are uber techy twisty woods riding here on the South Shore of Vancouver Island BC.

The Alfine 11 is more than enough gear range for my riding. The question is whether or not it holds up.

BTW – I rarely ever used the big ring even on previous XC bikes as I can spin fast and an extra front derailleur shift never seemed appealing.

12022012

Jerome(18:37:42) :

Hi Vik,

Very nice setup. I have a couple of quick questions regarding the On-One frame:

1) Did you order through your LBS or directly online? if the latter, did you go through the Titus USA/On-One website? I ask because I am thinking about one of their frames and am wondering about the simplest way to get a frame in Canada.

2) Did you consider their other 29er frames (cromoly). They seem like good deals and the 26″ version of the steel frame has gotten good reviews in the past. Any reason why you went with Al alloy?

3) What are your initial impressions of the Scandal frame?

I am considering an Alfine 8 setup (which I have) for the eventual bike. Though the 11 has greater range, most of it seems to be in the top end which does not add much (IMHO) – at least not worth the extra expense for now.

You seem to raise the issue of durability. Are you concerned about the Alfine 11 more than the 8 or just as a general feeling on the durability of internal hub for a fairly ‘torquey’ usage. If i recall correctly, you seemd happy with Alfine 8 on your Pug and the hub has received good reviews online from people using it on a regular MTB. My impression was that durability was not really an issue.

1) I ordered directly from the On One/Titus US Store as I don’t think they sell through dealers. I paid costs shown on webstore + $8 customs handling fee + HST. Frame arrived 5 business days after it was ordered and was well packed.

2) No I only wanted the Scandal, but the Inbred seems to have good reviews as you say and they share the same geometry.

3) The Scandal is well made and handles well. It’s my first 29er and first XC bike in years so I’m not a connoisseur of the genere!

4) For mt MTBing an Alfine 8 would be fine. I had an 11 sitting on my self which I used and the Scandal will get used for bikepacking and longer XC rides in other spots where higher gears are useful. The Alfine 8 has been proven for MTBing while the 11 has rec’d mixed reviews. It’s too early to say if the 11 will be as robust as the 8…it’s a totally different design so they can’t/shouldn’t be compared too closely. If you have an Alfine 8 go for it…it’s a great hub.

@AlanG – the Alfine 11 is great. I can shift while coasting and the gearing range is more than what I need in my local riding areas. I’m experienced with an IGH so I am used to pausing a moment as I shift.

@Jolly – I have MTB’d with the Pugsley on in winter and in summer. It’s a classic rigid MTB that has 29er sized wheels and feels like 1″ of suspension when the tires are inflated properly. The Pugsley is on the heavy side and with the right tires [Nates/Husker Dus] will have a ton of traction as well as good flotation on soft stuff.

Like any rigid MTB it’s best for smooth rolling terrain or rough slow techy stuff. It will be a challenge for fast chunky terrain where you’ll get bounced around a lot and have to ride slow.

Can a Pugs be your only MTB? Sure…as long as your terrain suits it and you aren’t riding with folks on 6″+ full suspension bikes.

16022012

Hal B.(18:35:22) :

Nice site and great pix! As a former Vancouverite/Nanaimo-ite now living in Adelaide Australia, your shots of the great North Woods make me homesick.
I have recently turned my 1989 Wicked Fat Chance ( bought in Nanaimo in ’92 from Bastion Cycles and still going!) into a single speed and am grunting my way through the gum trees. Would love an On One 29er though…keep up the good work.